Brian Kilmeade: School Mascots Offensive To Native Americans Are Just Fine

In the alternate reality of Fox News, offensive ethnic stereotyping is just fine and any attempt to address the offensiveness is, well, offensive. At least that was the point being made by a conservative Native American who told an affirming Brian Kilmeade that Colorado's attempt to address ethnically offensive mascots is just so silly - and offensive.

As the media mouthpiece for those who yearn to return to the days when white people used ethnic slurs with impunity, it's not surprising that Fox & Friends would tackle this topic. Back in 2013, the gang on the curvy couch hosted actor Robert Davi who waxed nostalgic for the good old days of amusing ethnic slurs and the happy black folk on Amos & Andy. And while a growing number of native and non-Native Americans find the Washington Redskins logo offensive, Fox News not only supported it, but mocked and insultedthose who feel it is a racial slur.

Among those Fox hosts who feel that there is no basis to objections to the name of the Washington team is Brian Kilmeade who provided us with this pearl of wisdom: "exactly, the Indians, the Seminoles, all these names are going to be up for debate. Next thing you know, we're going to be, we'll just be named to a color." So it wasn't surprising to see him do a segment on a proposed Colorado law which would require that public schools with Native American mascots have those mascots approved by a panel of Native Americans. But rather than providing a fair & balanced discussion of the issue, Kilmeade found, surprise, surprise, a conservative Native American who is actually insulted by the proposal.

Wednesday, Brian began the "Trouble With Schools" segment by indignantly reporting that "high school athletes who want to call themselves Indians, Warriors, Braves, Chiefs, may soon be required to ask local native-Americans for permission to use those so-called offensive team names." The banner set the propaganda message: "Pushing Political Correctness, Bill Requires Permission for Indian Mascots." He noted that, under the proposed legislation, schools that maintained offensive mascots would be fined. He introduced his guest, Ellie Reynolds, a member of the Oglala Sioux tribe.

Reynolds said that she is offended by the bill because it "highlights the divide between Native American culture and what's considered mainstream" like Vikings, Trojans, and Fighting Irish which, in the real world, are not considered ethnic insults. The banner: "Offensive Mascots?" Kilmeade read names of teams with Native American names, including the Washington Redskins, which, he claimed, "honor" Native Americans, yet some folks think, oh my, that these names are offensive.

As the banner reinforced the agitprop, "Politically Correct Paralysis," Reynolds described her self as "unique" and claimed that during the hearing for the bill, "lots of Native Americans testified for the bill." She asserted that we are suppressing symbols that "can bring us together." She talked about how she embraces the part of her heritage that is Native-American. Kilmeade praised her for "standing up to the big push in Colorado to get rid of all American Indian names."

What wasn't mentioned on Fox & Friends: Ellie Reynolds is the Vice-President of the Denver Young Republicans and was a GOP "tracker" during the 2014 campaign. One of the Colorado school teams is the "Savages" and another is the "Redskins." Students have requested that the names be changed." One testified, at the state house hearing, "that they want to honor their ancestors for their strength and resiliency, not remember them as “ugly, drunk savages with red skin and a big nose."

So if a high school team decides to "honor" the Irish with a name like, say, the "drunken Micks," Brian Kilmeade would be OK with that?

Showing 4 reactions

Oh please, Ellie Reynolds looks as European as they come. How can she talk about this issue if she has never experienced being stereotyped for her Native looks? CLaiming Indians is honoring anyone is stupid. Indian is a racial name. It applies to people of an entire continent. Just like Redskins. No team called the Whites, the Caucasians, the Pale Faces. Yet the vast majority of these schools using these names are White kid populated. A Native school I can understand, but not for other schools. The Fighting Irish, for example is in Notre Dame, with a heavy Irish population that endorses the name. Furthermore, Irish are seen as White. White is the racial name, not Irish. Vikings, Buccaneers, Pirates, etc are all warrior classes, not a racial group. Most don’t even exist today, and they are not a name that indicates all White people. If you truly thought this was fair, then you would name your teams by White racial names. The Caucasians, The Palefaces, etc.

You know, if Ms Reynolds (maybe she’d rather be termed “Squaw Reynolds”—I understand a lot of Native Americans take offense at the use of “squaw”) is such a proud member of the Oglala Sioux tribe, why then does she hide behind such an incredibly “white” name?

Or is it a “stereotype” that Native Americans should not have last names like “Reynolds?”